Headlight



T. W.' POSTI HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED mm. 3 me.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

I gnvewtoz 7710M 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. W. POST.

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 3. 1916. 1,327,732. Patented Jan. 13,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- anuewfo-z 351; Gnu-A0135 I UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

TRUMAN W. POST, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRIC AUTO-LITE CORPORATION, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

HEADLIGHT.

specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 13, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRUMAN W. PosT, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in the borough of Brooklyn-and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hadlights, of-which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to head lamps such as are used on vehicles, especially on automobiles, and consists of a casing in which is mounted or housed a plurality of separate lamps and reflectors pointed in different directions, together with separate circuits for each lamp, some of which may be closed manually and others automatically.

Two such lamps and reflectors may be provided which are mounted in the casing in such a manner that the beam of light rom one of them is projected directly ahead in a horizontal direction, while the beam of light from the other lam and reflector is also projected directly a ead, but in a downwardly inclined direction. The first mentioned lamp and reflector should be as powerful as the ordinary head-light and is adapted to be used on countr roads and other poorly lighted highways. The second lamp and reflector is less powerful and is adapted to be utilized when driving within city limits, or when another car is approaching 1n an opposite direction, for since the beam of light is directed downwardl it will not strike the eyes of a person eit er on the road or in a vehicle comin in the opposite direction. The last mentioned lam and reflector will therefore not cause the 0 j ectionable glare and will serve the same function as a dimmer. Moreover, since the beam of light is directed downwardly, it will more clearly illuminate the portion of road directly in advance of the automobile or vehicle and both lights may be simultaneously lighted where the road is extremely dark. Separate circuits are provided for each lamp, together with a switch which is adapted to close each circuit separately or both circuits simultaneously. I

Instead of providing only two separate lamps and reflectors, four lam s and reflectors may be provided, all of w ich point in diiferent directions and this is the preferred construction and the one which is shown in the specific embodiment of the invention illustrated. Two of these lamps are arranged in the manner aforesaid and the other two are arranged so that they point to the left and right, respectively, and are utilized when the car is to turn in a corresponding direction. Separate circuits are employed for these two lights which circuits are automatically closed :as the'steering mechanism is actuated to change the direction of travel. The circuit closures for these circuits are arranged so that they may be closed as the car begins to turn in either direction, which may be accomplished by providing a circuit controller mounted upon and actuated by the movement of the steering wheel or other art 'of the steering mechanism. If desire the two last mentioned lamps and reflectors maybe pointed downwardly, as well astoward the left and right, respectively, so that they may be utilized even when another car is approaching in the 0pposite direction or when the car is being driven within the city limits.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 shows an automobile equipped with a head-light constructed in accordance withthe principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of such a lamp;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation partially in section of the light shown in Fig. 2; and Fig. 4. is a diagram of the circuit connections.

In Fig. 1, a portion of an automobile shown comprises a chassis 1', a body 2, and front wheels 3., Mounted upon the chassis is a head-light which, as shown in Fig.3,

comprises a cup-shaped casing 4whichis v I mounted upon a hollow post 5 supported by being bolted or otherwise secured to the chassis of the automobile. Mounted within the casing is a plurality of separate'lamps and reflectors. One lamp is designated 6 and its reflector 7, which lamp and reflector are similar to the ones used in the present form of head-lights;v that is, the reflector is of a parabolic shape and is pointed in such a'direction that the beam of light is projected horizontally in a direction parallel to the axis of the car and hence to the direction in which the car is traveling. This lam and its reflector should preferably be the horizontal so that the beam of light from the same will be directed downwardly instead of in a horizontal direction, the amount of inclination of the reflector being suflicient to insure that the beam of light therefrom will not strike the eyes of a driver of a car coming in the opposite direction or those of a person upon the road. This lamp and reflector need not be as powerful as the lamp 6 and reflector 7. It may here be noted that the reflector 8 forms a housing around the lamp 9 which prevents anyvof the rays from this lamp striking the surface of the reflector 7 from which they would be reflected in a horizontal direction and thus to some extent defeat the purpose for which the ad-- ditional lamp 9 and reflector 8 are provided.

These two lamps and reflectors may alone be used, if desired, and suitably housed within the casing 1. In order to light and extinguish the lamps at will, the circuit arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is utilized wherein the two head lights upon the front- 7 and 9 of one head-light being'respectively connected in multiple with the lamps 7 and 9 of the other head light. The lamp 7 is connected to a suitable source of current such as storage battery or a plurality of dry cells which has been. indicated at 12 by means of wires 13 and 14. The lamp 9 is.

also connected to the battery 12 by wires 15 and 14. The other side of the battery isconnected by a wire 16 to a pivoted switch blade 17 which is adapted to contact with contact buttons 18, 19, 20 and 21. Contact 18 is connected by wire 22 to the lamp 9. Contact 19 is connected by wire 23 to lamp 7 and contacts 20 and 21 are connected in multlple with contacts 18 and 19 respectively, by wires 24 and 25 so that when switch blade 17 contacts simultaneously with both contacts 20 and 21, the circuit will be simultaneously closed to both lamps of each head-light.

It is preferable to provide in addition to the two lamps and reflectors described, two additional lamps and reflectors which have been designated 25, 26 and 27,28, respectively. These lamps and reflectors are pointed in such a direction that their axes, and hence the beam of light directed therefrom, is inclined both to the horizontal and to the direction in which the vehicle is pointed; that is, the reflector 26 and lamp 25 are so arranged that the beam of light directed therefrom is pointed toward the left with respect to the direction in which of the car are shown in multiple, the lamps the vehicle is pointed and in the same man ner the lamp 27 and reflector 28 is so arranged that the beam of light directed therefrom is directed to the right. Both of these reflectors and lamps are also preferably arranged so that the beam of light directed therefrom is inclined downwardly instead of in a genera-1 horizontal direction so that the beams of light therefrom cannot strike the eyes of a person or driver coming in the opposite direction to cause the objectionable glare, These reflectors and lamps are utilized when it is desired to turn the vehicle in either direction for "as is well known, when the front wheels of the vehicle are swung to make an abruptturn, the direction of the vehicle or the beam of light from the usual stationary head-light does not correspond to the direction in which the vehicle is to travel afterthe turn is completed and hence the-ordinary type of head light is valueless for illuminating the road during the making of a turn. If, however, the two additional lamps and reflectors are supplied and arranged as described, the road to the left. or right will be illuminated while the vehicle is making the turn. As it is desirable to automatically provide for this illumination so that the operation of the steering wheel will automatically light the lamps,

the circuit arrangement shown in Fig. 4 is utilized. As before described, lamps 25' and 27 are, respectively, connected in multiple with the lamps 25 and 27 of the other head light and the circuit for one head light will only be referred to. The lamp 25 is connected by means of wires 30 and 31to the battery 12 and by means of a wire 32 to a contact 33. In the same manner,.the lamp 27 is connected by a wire 34 which is connected to the battery by wire 31. The lamp 27 is also connected by a wire 35 to a contact 36. The contacts 33,36 are carried by a collar; 37 secured to the hollow steering post 38 which as is shown in Fig. 1, incloses a hollow steering shaft 39 which is secured at one end to a worm wheel 40 which through the segment gear and lever 41 and distance rods controls the angular osition of the front wheels of the vehicle. ecured to the steering wheel 42 is a contact blade 43 connected by a lead wire to a; segment with which the switch 17, when on contacts 18, 19, or 20 and 21, is always in electrical contact. to thereby connect the blade 43 to the lead wire 16 to the battery 12. When the steering wheel is turned, blade 43 is adapted to engage withone or the other of the two contacts 33 or 36 and to complete the circuits either through the lamp 25 or 27 depending upon whether the vehicle is being turned to the left or to the right. These contacts are spaced at a distance from the neutral of the contact blade 43 which corresponds to the position of the wheels of the vehicle when the same is moving straight ahead so that practically a quarter turn of the steering wheel is required before either of the circuits described is closed, this construction being utilized to prevent the continual lighting and extinguishing of these lamps due to the small angular variations in the position of the driving wheel which ordinarily occur in driving over a comparatively straight road, the contacts being arranged that only when an abrupt turn is made that either one or the other of the lamps 25 or 27 is lighted.

The switch 12 and cooperating contacts may also be mounted on the steering wheel so as to be in a position to be conveniently manipulated by the driver.

I claim:

1. In combination, a plurality and reflectors therefor, one of said lamps being arranged to project light rays in a forward direction; and two other of said lamps being arranged to project light rays to the right and to the left of the direction in which the rays from said first mentioned lamp are projected; current supplying circuits for said lamps; a manually operable switch for closing the circuit to said first mentioned lamp; and automatic means controlled by the direction'of movement of the vehicle with which the mechanism is used for closing the circuits of said last two mentioned lamps without affecting the circuit to said first mentioned lamp.

2. In an automotive vehicle the combination of the plurality of lamps each having of lamps a reflector separate and independent from the others, one of said lamps being arranged to project light rays in a forward direction, and two other of said lamps being arranged to project light rays to the right and to the left of the direction in which the rays of the first mentioned lamps are projected; current supplying circuits for said lamps; a manually operable switch for closing the circuit of said first mentioned lamp; and automatic means controlled by the steering mechanism of said vehicle for closing the circuits of said last two mentioned lamps, without affecting the circuit of said first mentioned lamp.

3. In an automotive vehicle the combination of a headlight including a plurality of lamps, one of said lamps being adapted to project light rays forwardly; another of said lamps being adapted to project light rays forwardly and downwardly; and two other of said lamps being arranged to project light rays laterally; separate circuits for each of said lamps, a manuallyoperable switch for closing either or both of the circuits of said two first mentioned lamps and means controlled by the steering mechanism of said vehicle for closing the circuits of said last two mentioned lamps.

In witness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

TRUMAN W. POST.

Witnesses:

WALDO M. CHAPIN, JULE E. ZELENKO. 

